Door hinge with hold-open device



Nov, 28, 1961 P. WIDMER nooE HINGE WITH HOLD-OPEN DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed NOV. 13, 1958 l. maf

Nov. 28, 1961 P. WIDMER nooR HINGE WITH HOLD-OPEN DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Nov. 13, 1958 A rra/mfr i 3,010,143 DOOR HINGE WITH HLD-GPENDEVICE Paul Widmer, Detroit, Mich., assigner to General MotorsCorporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 13,1953, Ser. No. 773,644 9 Claims. (Cl. 16-140) The present inventionrelates to an improved door hinge construction of the type utilizing ahold-open mech- -anism. In the present invention the door associatedwith the hinge mechanism is adapted to be freely moved in an openingdirection until the door is fully opened, however, additional means isprovided for yieldably resisting the initial closing movement of thedoor until such time as the latter reaches a predetermined positionafter which the door may be freely closed.

While many types of door hold-open devices have been developed, theyhave frequently been complicated in design and subject to locking thedoor in a fully open position to an extent requiring the application ofexcessive door closing forces to overcome the hold-open mechanism. Thesubject door hold-open mechanism represents a distinct improvement inthat the door may be fully opened without having to overcome theconsiderable resistance necessary to activate previous type hold-opendevices. It has been generally necessary with these previous devices tofrequently utilize some typeof over-center mechanism which the final fewdegrees of door opening movement activated but which requiresconsiderable extra effort on the part of the person opening the door.This objection is obviated in the present invention which permits thedoor to be moved from fully closed to fully opened with only that forcerequired to overcome the mass of the door itself.

Additionally, previous types of door hold-open devices have generallybeen operative to hold the door in but one open position. The presentdeviec is so constructed that the door may be retained in a range ofopen positions.

The present invention provides a relatively simple holdopen mechanism inwhich an arcuate sector member iixed on or integral with the door hingestrap is adapted to coact with a roller member and a spring element insuch a way that during opening movement the roller is moved out ofoperative relationship between the spring and sector but during theinitial closing movement of the door the roller is resiliently wedgedbetween the sector and the spring member so as to resist the doorclosing movement until such time as the roller drops into a relievedportion of the sector freeing `the door for easy closing movement.

The details as well as other objects and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent from a perusal of the detailed descriptionwhich follows.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a partially sectioned view through a door hinge mechanismembodying in the subject invention;

FIGURE 2 is substantiallyv the same as FIGURE 1 With the doorapproaching a fully opened position;

FIGURE 3 is a View along-line 3 3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a view along line 4 4 of FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 5 is a view along line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawings, a door is shown generally at and is suitablypivotally supported through a gooseneck hinge strap 12 to a door framestructure 14. Hinge strap 12 is suitably fastened to a supporting plate16 on the door 10 through studs 18. The other end of strap 12 ispivotally mounted on a pintle member 20 which is in turn supportedwithin a hinge box 22.

Hinge box 22 includes check flanges 24 adapted to be engaged by arm 26of strap 12 to provide a positive door opening stop for the strap andhence for door 10'.

3,010,143 Patented Nov. 28, 1961 Arm 26 of strap 12 includes a relievedportion 28 within which an arcuate extension sector 30 is adapted to besecured through a screw member 32. An opening 34 is formed in door framewall 36 and through which opening arcuate sector 30 is adapted toproject. As best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2 sector 30 includes a relativelythick portion 35 and a thinner or relieved portion 38, the latter beingdisposed proximate arm 26 of strap 12.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, sector 30 is shown as aseparate member attached to strap 12, however, it is to be understoodthat the sector may be incorporated as an integral part of the strap ifdesired.

A support bracket 40 is mounted on hinge box 22 and extends outwardlytherefrom in the direction of sector 30. Support bracket 40 is open yat42 and 4 so as to permit arcuate sector 30 to extend therethrough. Thusas door 10 opens and closes sector 30 will move in an arcuate directionabout pintle 2li relative to support bracket 40.

Support bracket 40 includes a pair of L-shaped members 46 fixed theretoand spaced from each other to support a roller member 48 therebetween.Roller member 48 is biased within members 46 by a spring element 50 oneend of which seats against the roller and the other end of which seatsupon an arm 52 of bracket 40. A screw member 54 is adjustably mountedWithin bracket arm 52 and provides an axial support for spring 50.

An offset spring member 56 is supported Within an opening 58 formedwithin bracket arm 52. End 60 of spring 56 is offset in the direction ofarcuate sector 30 and is adapted to extend through opening 44 formed inbracket 40. The other end of spring 56 includes a hooked portion 62having an opening or slot 64 formed therein and within which slot thehead 66 of screw 54 is adapted to project. For reasons to besubsequently considered in greater detail, as the screw member 54 isthreaded in relation to bracket larm 52, it will be seen that the springmember will be correspondingly moved whereby end 6i) moves closer to orfarther from arcuate sector 30. It is also to be noted that spring 56 isadapted to engage the periphery of roller 4S.

The operation of the subject hold-open device may best be understood byreferring to FIGURES l and 2. With door 10 closed, roller 48 is disposedwithin relieved portion 38 of arcuate sector 30. As door 10 opens, thethick portion 35 yof sector 30 moves beneath and urges roller 48 towardthe wider end of the generally tapered space defined by the sector andspring 56. Thus the roller is maintained out of engagement or onlylightly engages with spring 56 and compresses spring 50. In this mannerdoor 1li may move relatively freely in an opening direction until arm 26of strap 12 engages check flange 24 on hinge box 22. As door 10 is movedin a closing direction, the movement of sector 30y will cause roller 48-to be moved to the narrower end of the tapered space between the sectorand spring 56 where the roller will be wedged between the spring andsector to create a drag resistance to the door closing movement. Thusthe wedging action of roller 48 between spring 56 and sector St providesa yieldable hold-open force.

Application of suiiicient closing pressure on door 10 will deflectspring 56 permitting door closure under equally maintained yieldablehold-open force until roller 48 rides down into the recess portion 38 ofsector 30 as the door approaches its closed position. After roller 48 iswithin sector recess 38, the door is easily closed.

The degree of closing movement through which the door hold-open actionis in effect is determined by the length of recess portion 38 of sector30. As the recess 38 is moved closer to strap arm 26 the longer becomesthicker sector portion 37 and correspondingly the longer the hold-openaction is available.

The upward deection of spring 56 under the closing movement of doorcauses the spring to abut against the upper side of opening 58 inbracket arm 52. By adjusting screw 54 to the left, as Viewed in FIGURE1, the eiiective length of spring 56 is increased and the resilience ofthe spring is decreased. As a consequence of such adjustment the forcerequired to overcome the hold-open action is decreased. Correspondinglyas screw 54 is adjusted to move spring 56 to the right, the stiffness ofthe spring is increased as is the door hold-open force.

It is apparent that various structural modications of the present deviceare possible within the scope of the invention as set forth in thehereinafter appended claims.

I claim:

l. A door hold-open mechanism comprising a support member, a hinge strappivotally supported upon said member, said hinge strap also beingsecured to said door, said strap member including a sector formedthereon and arcuately disposed with respect to the pivot point of saidstrap on said member, said sector including a recessed portion, abracket mounted upon said support member and disposed proximate saidsector, a roller member supported within said bracket and adapted toengage with said sector, a spring member mounted upon said bracket, saidspring member coacting with said sector to define a generally taperedspace within which said roller is disposed, said roller being mountedwithin said bracket and being movable in the direction of strapmovement, a stop formed on said support member, the opening movement ofsaid door causing the sector to move said roller toward the wider end ofsaid tapered space permitting unresisted opening of said door until saidhinge strap engages the stop member, the closing movement of said doorcausing said sector to move said roller toward the narrower end of saidtapered space whereby said rolleris wedged between said sector and saidspring member to yieldably resist the closing movement of said door,said roller resisting the closing movement of said door until therecessed portion of said sector is disposed adjacent said roller tointerrupt said wedging action and permitting unresisted closing movementof said door, said recessed portion of the sector being of such lengththat the roller member remains therein until the door has moved from itsclosed to an appreciably open position.

2. A door hold-open mechanism comprising a support member, a hinge strappivotally supported upon said member, said hinge strap also beingsecured to said door, said strap member including a sector formedthereon and arcuately disposed with respect to the pivot point of saidstrap on said member, said sector including a recessed portion, abracket mounted upon said support member and disposed proximate saidsector, a roller member supported within said bracket and adapted toengage with said sector, a spring member mounted upon said bracket, saidspring member coacting with said sector to define a generally taperedspace within which said roller is disposed, said roller being mountedwithin said bracket and being movable in the direction of strapmovement, a stop formed on said support member, the opening movement ofsaid door causing the sector to move said roller toward the wider end ofsaid tapered space permitting unresisted opening of said door until saidhinge strap engages the stop member, the closing movement of said doorcausing said sector to move said roller toward the narrower end of saidtapered space whereby said roller is wedged between said sector and saidspring member to yieldably resist the closing movement of said door,said roller resisting the closing movement of said door until therecessed portion of said sector is disposed adjacent said roller tointerrupt said wedging action and permitting unresisted closing movementof said door, and means for adjusting the rate of the spring member toVary the door hold-open force, said recessed portion of the sector beingof such length that the roller member remains therein until the door hasmoved from its closed to an appreciably open position.

3. A door hold-open mechanism as set forth in claim 2 in which thespring rate adjusting means comprises a screw member adjustablysupported upon said bracket, said spring member being operativelyconnected to said screw whereby screw movement will translate the springrelative to the bracket.

4. A door hold-open mechanism as set forth in claim 3 in which saidbracket includes an opening within which said spring member issupported, movement of said screw changing the eiective length of thespring member through which the roller member is engaged.

l5. A door ho-ld-open mechanism as set forth in claim 4 1n which saidspring member is generally flat and includes an offset portionterminating adjacent the roller member.

6. A door hoid-open mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which saidbracket includes a pocket within which said roller member is disposed,and a spring element biasing the roller member within said pocket.

7. A door hold-open mechanism as set forth in claim 6 in which thespring rate adjusting means comprises a screw member adjustablysupported upon said bracket, sa1d lscrew member being adapted to supportsaid spring element in aiignment with the roller member.

8. A door hold-open mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which therecessed portion of the sector is disposed subadjacent said roller whenthe door is closed.

9. A door hold-open mechanism comprising a support member, a hinge strappivotally supported upon said member, said hinge strap also beingsecured to said door, said strap member including a sector formedthereon and arcuately disposed with respect to the pivot point of saidstrap on said member, said sector including a plurality of offsetsurfaces, at least one of said surfaces being radially more remote fromsaid strap pivot point than another and contiguous of said surfaces, abracket mounted upon said support member and disposed proximate saidsector, a roller member supported within said bracket and adapted tosequentially engage with said sector surfaces, a spring member mountedupon said bracket, said spring member coacting with said sector to denea generally tapered space within which said roller is disposed, a stopformed on said support member, the opening movement of said door causingthe sector to move said roller toward the wider end of said conicalspace permitting unresisted opening of said door until said hinge strapengages the stop member, the closing movement of said door causing saidsector to move said roller toward the narrower end of said tapered spacewhereby said roller is wedged between said sector and said spring memberto yieldably resist the closing movement of said door, said rollerresisting the closing movement of said door until said more radiallyremote sector surface is disposed adjacent said roller to interrupt saidwedging action and permitting unresisted clos- -ing movement of saiddoor.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,645,977 Titus Oct. 18, 1927 2,217,035 Weagant Oct. 8, 1940 2,218,372Ackerman Oct. 15, 1940 2,791,794 Burns May 14, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS467,990 Canada Sept. 12, 1950

